Mortal Posessions
by Trudyann B
Summary: Two years after Danny saved the world and revealed his identity, team Phantom has settled into a new normal, where much has changed, and much has stayed the same. However, a new threat is looming on the radar, and this one is ominously difficult to detect.
1. Chapter 1

Mortal Possessions

By Trudyann B.  
Danny Phantom Fanfiction

Summary:

Two years after Danny saved the world and revealed his identity, team Phantom has settled into a new normal, where much has changed, and much has stayed the same. However, a new threat is looming on the radar, and this one is ominously difficult to detect.

Author's Note:  
This is based on a vaguely-phantom-planet-like occurrence happening in the past, but assumes that it was a more realistic plot, with deeper characters. I've been writing this in short, casual scenes off-and-on for a few months now. It's mostly just a guilty pleasure of mine where I geek out about Danny's ghost powers and practice writing teenagers, which I am no longer. I'll be honest that I'm not sure I'll finish this, but I've got some really fun scenes written. I've gotten to scene 10 so far. I hope you enjoy it! Reviews are really nice, both critical and otherwise. :)

 **Scene 1.**

He had to admit, intangibility was an incredibly useful ability on a lonely, rainy evening. Danny Phantom was flying home, an activity that usually exhilarated him. But it had no effect on his exhausted and weary soul. In fact, it wasn't really flying so much as a high altitude glide, more reflex than effort. Eyes half lidded, he was thankful for his current separation from the world.

Nearly every day at this time, despite his unique ghostly abilities, one would see Danny in his human form, walking along the street with his best friend, Tucker, and his girlfriend, Sam, by his side. Their feet would fall subconsciously into a common rhythm on the sidewalk. Sam would be complaining about some current law or statute that was unjust or environmentally irresponsible. Tucker would often be agreeing, but also satirizing her concerns without missing a beat. Danny would be laughing mostly, reveling in the relaxed atmosphere. Every once in a while, he would find a perfect moment for a witty remark, and slide it in effortlessly. It generally afforded laughter and maybe a pat on the back.

Except that didn't always happen. Currently, Sam was volunteering for a local food drive, and Tucker had been away for the past few days, touring colleges. He wasn't going to be back home until later tonight. And on this chilly, fall afternoon, the lone ghost boy phased seamlessly into his room, and landed on his bed, dry, warm, and with a numb feeling he couldn't shake.

He had too little energy to remove the backpack from his shoulders. A silver ring, buzzing with an alien electricity, radiated from his abdomen and slid over him, transforming his ethereal presence into possibly the most nondescript teenage boy imaginable. He lay there, waiting for either sleep or his ghost sense to overtake him, whichever came first.

"Danny, are you home?!" Neither of the choices he was ready for appeared to him. Instead, what greeted him was a shout, pounding footsteps, and a door slammed open with such voracity that the house shook. The bed quivered under him.

Danny had considered his options. He could have phased through the bed until he was hiding under it. Unfortunately, he had recently "cleaned his room" by shoving nearly everything he owned under there, so he would not have been able to rest anyway. He could have gone invisible, but the depression in his mattress would give him away. Any other options were too slow to enter his sluggish brain, and so he was left with a more standard method of ignoring someone: pretending he was asleep.

"Danny-boy! Glad to see you're home!" His father boomed.

The addressed teen groaned sleepily.

His mother's voice was next, "Jack, let's not disturb him, he's tired." As per usual, Danny had not even noticed his mother's footsteps. Despite her sworn oath to fight ghosts, she was as light on her feet as a specter herself.

 _Become the enemy to fight the enemy_ , Danny wryly thought to himself. No one knew that concept better than he did.

"Nonsense, Maddie, the boy looks fine. Buck up, son, we need your help with the new modifications on the Fenton Ectobombinator!" The constant optimism in his father's voice was such the antithesis to Danny's mood that all Danny could possibly respond with was another, more stubborn sounding groan.

Two could play the stubborn game. Without another word, Jack crossed the room and forcefully swung Danny over his shoulder much like a sack of potatoes, only the potatoes were a scrawny, annoyed, six-foot half-ghost, and made his way to the door.

Unfortunately for the brawny man, his newfound knowledge of Danny's ghost powers gave his son new avenues of escape. The boy over his shoulder slid through it, and floated back to a peaceful rest on his bed. The flabbergasted father was momentarily speechless before a loud guffaw overtook him.

"Good one, son! Hah hah!" He travelled back over to the bedside, "But really," a large hand rested on Danny's shoulder, "It's three in the afternoon. Let's get you up and active again! That's what you need!"

His father's volume was grating on his nerves. He opened his mouth to comment on it grumpily, but, probably for the best, his mother spoke up first.

"Jack," she said, this time with more strength behind her voice, "Why don't you let me talk to him for a few minutes?" It wasn't a suggestion, and while the man may not understand his son's signals, he certainly recognized his wife's. He gave a dramatic sigh, allowing his spirits to fall only for a moment, before picking them back up.

"If you say so, Mads. I'll be in the lab working on the fantastic, futuristic and totally-worth-seeing Fenton Ectobombinator!"

Danny, face hidden from view, secretly smiled at his dad's antics. The door closed. Equally resigned and excited steps echoed down a few flights of stairs. With his eyes closed, the teen almost thought he was alone. Perhaps his mother was so enraptured by their new invention that she forgot all about talking to him. He felt the weight of someone sitting on his bed, and realized that he had no such luck.

Yet there was a part of him, he realized, who wanted to talk. At seventeen years old, the boy had every right to be standoffish and mysterious toward his parents, but he had done enough of that three years ago.

"Late night ghost fight?" She questioned.

"Strangely, no," he replied. He could have said there was one, he realized. It would have made a much shorter conversation.

Maddie was quiet and patient. Her teenager was equally quiet, and exhausted. However, no matter the time they spent in silence, sleep would not transport him away from elaborating.

Finally, the silence was too much for him. He made moves to sit up. His body protested, but he was used to being a lot more sore than this.

"I wish I had that excuse, but I'm just tired, I think. Normal person kinda tired. I haven't seen a ghost since yesterday." He shot a glance at her. Her hair was mismanaged from being under her hood. Her eyes shone with energy and innovation, despite the sleep-strained circles beneath them.

"Well that's good, Danny. That means you can move past it," she replied. He frowned. He didn't know what he expected to hear. There was a reason she and his dad got along so well.

If he was talking to Tucker, he would understand. Tucker would complain along with Danny. He would make a quip about beauty sleep being key to attracting chicks.

"I understand, sweetie," his mom said, as if reading his mind, "It never gets easier to shake off that feeling that you could sleep for days in a row."

Danny let out a snort of disbelief. "Yeah, okay. You can say that, but you and Dad are never tired."

"Well of course we are, Danny, we're just better at hiding it and moving on!" a smile in her voice, she ruffled Danny's messy black hair. He found that the corners of his lips were tugging upward despite themselves. It was, begrudgingly, what he needed to hear. With his grades constantly taking the backseat to his ghost escapades, he couldn't really afford downtime. Colleges looked at grades and all that noise.

In a surreal instant, the comfort he felt was thrown from him. Ice constricted his lungs, and he involuntarily gasped to pull the warm, surrounding air inward. On his next exhale, he could see his breath. His homework plans for the foreseeable future were washed away with adrenaline.

His mother's eyes widened, and then she laughed to herself. "That is the weirdest thing," she commented before asking, "Is it a powerful ghost?" An air of oncoming worry entered her voice. While she understood why her son did what he did, she couldn't help the motherly feeling that it was trouble he shouldn't have to deal with.

"How would I know?" he retorted in good humor.

"Well, I don't know! How would you know there's a ghost nearby at all? Your abilities are just bizarre!" Her indignance combined with the truth of her statement made Danny laugh harder than he thought he would.

After chuckling along herself, Maddie soon asked in earnest whether he needed help.

Danny considered. He didn't actually know who this ghost was, and how dangerous, nor did he know where it was. He would rather not be slowed down. On the other hand, his mother was a pretty good shot, he didn't particularly feel like being alone, and Sam and Tucker weren't around.

"You know what?" he thought out loud-

Transformation was once a conscious effort that took focus and energy, but now it felt as easy as stepping through a doorway. His body, once warm, and far too heavy, became light and cool. It felt as if he had become one with the air around him.

"I'll meet you there," he finished his thought with a grin. His parents' faces were always priceless when they saw him transform. It was as if their whole worldview was shattered every single time. Which, to be fair, was probably true.

On his way through the wall, he just barely heard his mother shout to him to be careful.


	2. Chapter 2

Scene 2.

The ghost boy had traveled up and down the street outside Fentonworks twice now, but found no ostentatious sign of a belligerent spirit. "Danny! Did you find anything?" he looked downward to find his mother suited up and ready to ghost hunt. He landed next to her.

"Nothing. I can feel it's here, though," he replied. Both Fentons scanned the street again for an otherworldly presence, hopeful for an answer. The rain had slowed to a light drizzle, almost a mist. The sun was hardly noticeable; just a patch of slightly brighter rain clouds to the west. A fine mist had settled over the streets, disturbed by the occasional passing car, and soaking citizen.

"Weird," Danny observed, "usually ghosts are more… loud and annoying than this."

Maddie nodded adding, "Maybe it's just a small bit of spectral energy that found its way out here."

"Mom!" Came an excited child's voice. "Look!" a little boy and his mother, with matching red hair and freckles, had just exited a sandwich shop across the street. "Mom, Really, _look!_ " The child was now tugging at his mother's sleeve impatiently, but she remained busy, fiddling with her umbrella.

"Hold on, sweetie."

Finally the child rolled his eyes, and flat out waved. "Hi, Danny Phantom!" He yelled.

Danny grinned, and waved in return. Hearing her child's strange declaration, his mother finally looked up with picturesque wide eyes and a dropped jaw. The half ghost and his own mother snickered.

Alarms cut the exchange short. They weren't ghost alarms, though. Their source was a jewelry store next door to the mother and child. The redheads flinched as the front doors crashed open, revealing a man and a woman with face masks, shoulder bags, and sizeable weapons. The two innocents began to run across the street, terrified by the sudden potential for violence. Meanwhile, a large pickup truck crashed through puddles down the road, far too fast, and on a collision course.

"No!" the teenage ghost propelled every part of his existence toward the child and his mother. The timing had to be perfect. Become intangible too fast, and he would slip right through the people he was trying to save. Get there too late, and there would be no one to save. The grill of the truck approached mercilessly.

Seconds later, a muddy ghost and his two charges lay toppled over in a puddle, while the truck barreled away from them just as quickly as it came, hardly slowing to pick up the two robbers, who had nimbly hopped into its cargo bed. Police sirens roared down the street.

"Get out of the road!" Maddie yelled. Her son was quick to help the strangers back to the sidewalk. Police cars zoomed by behind them.

"Are you both okay?" Danny asked first thing. The frazzled mother and son nodded and thanked him.

"Okay, good. I'm going after them."

"Danny," Maddie grabbed his arm as he started off. He paused and looked back. "There are no ghosts. Leave it to the police."

Dark eyebrows furrowed determinedly under snow white hair. "They just almost killed two innocent people! Robbery is one thing, but that's crossing a line."

"Danny, they have guns."

The addressed turned intangible and phased his arm through her hand to make his next point. Maddie reacted with exasperation, and just a hint of amusement, continuing, "and you're not a police officer or a vigilante. You're a teenager, who has homework to do. They can handle it."

"But my ghost sense-!"

"Was probably following some ghost cat in an alley. I know you mean well, sweetheart, but please. Stand down from this one."

Stubborn electric green eyes glared into equally stubborn violet ones.

Finally, accompanied by a long-winded sigh, a white ring of energy emanated from his waist. As it glided over his body, he felt his weight return.

"But freezing thieves to truck beds is my favorite form of procrastination!" Danny teased back.

Maddie replied with a good natured smirk and pat on the shoulder, "You'll live."

Turning toward home, the Fentons stopped short. Their path remained blocked by two wide-eyed, messy, jittery, and all around unwell-looking individuals.

"Uhmm… They might be in shock." Danny noticed with a thumb pointed in the direction of said redheads.

"Go get blankets, I'll sit them down nearby."

"Right okay..."

"Now."

"Yup."

Another transformation later, Danny rocketed home.


	3. Chapter 3

Scene 3.

"Police did apprehend all three criminals, who had each broken their parole to work together in the heist. The chase was a difficult one, and two officers were wounded." The TV in the Fentonworks laboratory droned through the facts of the action that had taken place just a few blocks away hours ago. Danny had perked up to listen. Three faces, along with names, blinked across the screen: Patricia McGee, Lee Checkov, and Jevon White. His parents, busy innovating beside him, had heavily requested he do his homework in the lab, so that he could help them when need be. "Unfortunately, the perpetrators' getaway vehicle was vacant of the loot, some twenty-thousand dollars worth of jewelry. Police verify that the stolen getaway car had been in their sights since it picked up the criminals. When asked how loot's movement may have escaped their notice, those at the scene did not comment.  
"In related news, young Daniel 'Phantom' Fenton was seen protecting two bystanders from the getaway car's fast approach." The mentioned boy flinched at the way the reporter said his name, and the picture of his duel faces, one next to the other, flashed on the news screen. Nostalgia brought him back to when he was just known by his (totally awesome) ghostly name: Danny Phantom, and nothing else. Now he just sounded like some washed up baseball star. At least 'Inviso-bill' was a thing of the past.

"The footage, taken on the camera phone of an anonymous source, can be seen here. The truck made no attempt to stop, and therefore, the driver, one Lee Checkov, may be treated more harshly by the court for reckless endangerment, or even attempted manslaughter." Danny couldn't help his eyes from turning green with vehemence at the thought of the man who had nearly killed the woman and boy whom he'd had to nurse back to mental stability earlier that day.

"As it is, two very lucky survivors made it home tonight, thanks to our very own town hero: Danny Phantom. When we return: A new study shows that Gummy Bears may be the secret to flawless complexion, but not in the way you'd expect! I'm Theresa Williams, and this is the Eleven'O'Clock News."

"Honestly, the things they pass as Science News these days is beyond me," Maddie quipped. Crossing the room, and turning the Television off with a decisive stroke of the hand.

"Says the Spectral Biology expert," Danny retorted.

"Well the difference is, I'm _right_." his mother quickly teased back. "Danny," her change in tone made the boy glance up from his barely-started Chemistry homework. "I'm so proud of you," she finished.

The ghost boy's ears turned red, "Thanks, Mom," he grumbled awkwardly.

She ruffled his hair, and he fixed his eyes back on his work. However, she was far from done with him.

"Now, come help us program this new device to ignore your ecto-signature, and then I'll help you get through Chemistry."


	4. Chapter 4

Scene 4.

At four in the morning, Valerie's ghost-tracker awoke her with violent beeping. She mumbled about the necessity for the addition of a snooze button on the device, but was soon out of bed. After splashing her face with water, the huntress doned her gear, deciding nobody would particularly care if her pajamas were secretly underneath her suit.

She vaguely wondered if Danny would already be there, and felt a flutter in her stomach that she managed to scarf back down angrily. First off, she had no patience for emotions she couldn't control. Second, he was halfway across town, surely she'd have this one to herself, and she made sure to convince her brain that she wanted it that way.

Wasting no more time, Valerie opened her window and crawled out of it, then engaged her hoverboard, and jumped into the air.

The huntress's on-board tracking equipment quickly found the source. A locked jewlery store. Merchandise marched through the walls and away from the store, seemingly of their own volition, though Valerie knew better.

The red huntress sent a test-blast behind a pearl necklace. Sure enough the necklace fell out of the marching order and skimmed across the pavement into dozens of pieces.

Telekenised objects could not phase through walls, but objects in the hands of a ghost could. Remembering this fact made the situation slightly terrifying as she watched accessory after accessory pass through the brick. There were so many of them. Perhaps antagonizing them wouldn't end well for her. She charged her blaster again. Facts like that had never stopped her before.

She fired again, taking out a set of diamond earrings. But with the second victory, her challenge magnified. All the jewelry vanished. She growled, aiming at where it had been, but could not see whether she was succeeding, with each blast smoldering a hole in the concrete regardless.

"Why don't you show yourselves, cowards?" She yelled in frustration. Why weren't they fighting back? Why were they stealing jewelry of all things? Of the many ghosts she'd fought in the past, they were all either too naive or too proud to remain invisible for this long.

"Val!" cried a faraway familiar voice. "What's going on?" Her enemy-turned-ally soon stopped on a dime next to her. "I got here as soon as I could."

The huntress in question ignored the relief she felt. "I could have handled it without you, ghost," She teased. Over the past few years, their relationship had been through a whirlwind of twists and turns. They had finally reached a fairly comfortable place about six months ago.

"Yeah sure, tell that to the ghost you haven't caught once."

"Did too!" Valerie shot back.

"Doesn't count if I got out of it with my charm and wit!" the ghost gave her a cheesy smile that was not even fair.

"You're incorrigible."

"You're… indubitable?"

"Couldn't think of a five-syllable word fast enough?" the huntress said through a smirk.

"So what's the issue anyway?" expertly avoiding the question posed to him, Danny surveyed the scene in confusion. "I feel a ghost, but I don't see one. That's annoyingly familiar."

"How about several ghosts. Just saw a bunch of disembodied jewelry phasing out of the store. When I shot at them, they turned invisible."

"Another jewelry robbery?" Danny frowned with the question. Seeing his companion's confusion, he filled her in on the day's events.

"But that was a human robbery," the girl noted.

"True, but it's still a weird coincidence." the ghost boy looked at the store. It seemed so quiet.

"You don't have some super convenient power to see invisible ghosts, do you?" Valerie posited, not too hopefully.

Danny thought for a few moments, before his face brightened with an idea. Valerie watched, curiosity peaked, as he flew down and settled his feet on the pavement. The boy closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, when he opened them again, his irises were an eerie, electric blue. On his exhale, he outstretched his gloved hands, and below them, snow formed in a thin sheet. It spread quickly, reaching the full width of the threatened store. Just as quickly as the snow settled, footprints tread through it. Immediately transferring back to green ectoplasmic energy, Danny threw several blasts, as did Valerie from above. Some of them surely rang true. Impressions of invisible beings littered the once-tranquil snow cover, but the enemy quickly caught on and the tracks vanished. No one retaliated. Not a single ghost showed itself.

Valerie cursed. "Any other bright ideas that also resist intangibility and/or flying?" she deadpanned as Phantom flew back up to her. She was not about to admit that she was impressed by both his ingenuity and the ice powers, of which she was a tiny bit jealous.

I mean, I could try a snowstorm, but I'm not that good at it, and it doesn't rule out intangibility," he admitted.

"So basically, we just tip off the police and head home?"

"That or fire randomly in the hopes of hitting more ghosts than houses." He shrugged. Having both been through property damage allegations, the two ghost hunters were not fond of the latter option. After calling the police, they floated for a moment more, praying to see just a flicker of a ghost they could shoot at.

"I'll be honest, I haven't felt this helpless when it comes to ghosts in a long time," the huntress admitted.

"Tell me about it. They're never this stealthy," Danny agreed. "Who the hell is behind this, and why?"

"Ghosts don't usually care about money," Valerie thought out loud.

"I've only ever seen anything like this when Freakshow put ghosts up to it." The boy didn't feel like reminding his friend that he was among the number of mind-controlled spirits who had fallen victim to the villain. "But last I checked, Freakshow's still behind bars."

The two became lost in thought for a moment more before Valerie's watch beeped.

"Five A.M." She lamented, glancing down at her watch and then back at the boy, who groaned.

"Well, I guess I'll see you in school," he replied. With little warning, he shot away at what she could only assume was top speed, out of sight in an instant. He had gotten faster over the years. She doubted she'd be able to chase him anymore even if she wanted to. The thought made her insides sink. But she had trained herself well, in the time spent working with him, to sequester both her envy and her creeping fear of him. The feeling that Valerie was not as practiced at crushing was the flutter that returned to her stomach as she kept her eyes glued, just a second too long, to where he had been floating moments before.

The huntress shook her head and started back toward home, but was stopped by the return of her ally.

"Quick question," she flinched, startled at his presence, "what did you get for 3-b on the Chem homework?"

Valerie laughed, "get out of here, Fenton!"

With a quirky smile, Danny raced away again. The Huntress sped home quickly, but not quickly enough in her opinion. "I've got to update this gear," the teen thought aloud.


	5. Chapter 5

Scene 5.

The next day in school, people were congratulating Danny left and right as he made his way to Tucker's locker.

"Phantom saves the day again!" exclaimed Kwan, punching Danny's shoulder lightly.

"Seriously, respect for saving lives yesterday, Fentoni!" Dash said. This comment was accompanied by a forceful pat on the back.

"A hero as usual," Paulina sighed delightedly. This one came with a hand on his shoulder. Unluckily for her, Sam had just caught up to Danny.

"Hey, back off, Princess," the goth girl growled.

"Okay wow, a little jealous, Circus Gothica?" was the reply, "Don't be so insecure," she advised saltily, and then, in a stage whisper, added, "You might lose him that way."

Sam glared daggers.

"Okay," Danny threw his hands up, then lightly grasped Sam by the shoulders. The motion was a suggestion to walk away more than an order. He knew the latter would just make her angrier. "And we're leaving, right, _sweetheart_?"

A steaming Sam allowed herself to be led away, enjoying the envious look on Paulina's face.

"Sam," Danny all but whispered, "You really shouldn't feel you need to...protect me."

This may have been a bad time. The goth rounded on him, fire in her eyes. She spoke in a low, harsh voice that scared her boyfriend more than yelling, "Are you seriously taking her side right now?"

Danny took a breath and turned to her directly. He slowly reached for her clenched fists, and, with a practiced technique, softened them into his hands.

"Sam," he said gently, meeting her violet eyes, "I'm always on your side. I just don't like to see you worked up over something you don't have to worry about. Paulina is not my kind of girl. You are."

Her expression relaxed; all except her eyebrows, which remained strained. "It's just she keeps _trying_. It's so rude. I wanna beat some respect into her!" Danny was relieved her blame had shifted.

"And you _totally_ could, but unless she's conveniently overshadowed by a ghost, that's not our job." He received a smile. Nice. Crisis averted.

"Call me 'sweetheart' again and I'll kick you," his girlfriend threatened wryly. Danny grinned and gave her a kiss on the cheek, and the girl's smile widened.

"You know I only said that to annoy Paulina."

"Aww! So cute. Smile for the camera, lovebirds!" Their friend's voice was unmistakeable. Danny and Sam nodded to each other and turned to Tucker with the most evil grimaces they could manage. Coming from a ghost and a goth, it was really quite frightening.

Tucker snapped the shot anyway, and lowered his phone, which was obviously the latest model, and jam-packed with custom tweaks. "When your kids come to me and say, 'Uncle Tuck the magnificent, what did my parents look like in high school?' I'm gonna show them that picture. I wanna know, how do you feel about your future kids crying in terror?"

Danny laughed.

"Uncle Tuck the magnificent?" Sam teased with an incredulous tone.

"Is obviously what they'll call me," The techno geek said as a matter of fact, "Is that all you got from my tale of woe?"

"I don't even like kids. Let them cry. It'll toughen them up," Sam said through a grin.

Her boyfriend looked away uncomfortably. It was way too early in their relationship to talk about kids yet anyway. They were in _high school_. He met the eyes of several staring schoolmates, who looked away uncomfortably, caught snooping. The boy sighed. He turned back to Tucker and Sam.

"So Tuck, when do you think you'll stop immortalizing our romance and get your own?" Danny teased. The trio walked and talked, making their way to class.

"Dude, I'm just trying to be a caring friend, but for your information, I am currently courting a fair lady of worthy note."

"He's never been the same since he read that Oscar Wilde play," Sam noted.

"Oscar Wilde is hilarious," Tucker resolutely declared, "And was the only good thing about Sophomore English. Don't ruin it for me."

"So where is this girl, can I meet her?" The other boy refocused.

"Well...no," came the reply.

"They met online playing _Doomed_ ," Sam clarified.

Danny marveled at how he didn't see this coming. "Is she good at _Doomed_?"

Tucker began to reply, "Well, not as masterful as I am, but-"

"She's better than him," Sam cut him off, "Not quite on my level yet, though."

"How am I the last one to know?" Danny inquired incredulously.

"Sorry, dude, we invited you to play, but you must have been busy," the tech geek gestured a swooping hand through the air, implying flight.

The blue-eyed boy frowned, but accepted the answer for what it was. He couldn't be two places at once. Well, technically he could, but it took a ton of energy and concentration. "Well how far along is this? Do you know her name? Where she's from? She's not some creepy undercover middle aged dude, is she?"

"Well, no, and... probably not? She said she was a seventeen year old blonde. Why would she lie about that?" The irony in the statement was not lost on the techno geek, "I may have secretly tracked her IP address, so I know she lives in Amity Park."

"That is _so_ not okay," Sam patronized strongly, and Danny had to agree.

"But isn't it though?" said Tucker, rounding the corner to the Chemistry classroom.


	6. Chapter 6

Scene 6.

Lancer was an inescapable entity in their school. As Vice Principal in an understaffed establishment (Thanks, ghosts.), he was found teaching anything from Art to Physics in a given semester. Today, first period, was Chemistry. And the trained English teacher was rattling off a previous teacher's notes on organic vs. inorganic compounds. Needless to say, it was a less than riveting performance.

"Does anyone have any questions?" the balding man finally asked, after nearly an hour of talking. Chirping crickets would have been more interested than the classroom of students. Except, that is, for Mikey, who gingerly rose his hand.

"I was just wondering, if all _life_ is carbon-based… what about afterlife? Like-is ectoplasm organic or inorganic?" The whole class bolted up in their seats at the very thought of discussing ghosts. Amity Park had come a long way since calling the Fentons crackpots. It wasn't hard to miss that the Fenton child himself was the focus of many sharp glances. The boy shrunk in his chair, and behind his bangs.

Lancer peered through his notes, but found no answer. They had been written before ghosts were generally considered real, let alone scientifically studied in the mainstream. "I'm afraid I don't know. The teacher admitted. "Would anyone-" he cleared his throat, "would anyone else like to try answering?"

Though Lancer tried not to be direct, all eyes turned to the half ghost in the room. Danny had sat up a little straighter, but was now hunched over his desk, his hands buried in his hair, "I don't know, my mom told me once but I can't remember," he said, more to his desk than to the curious students.

"How do you _not_ know? Isn't it-like- ghost 101?" Dash inquired sincerely.

That made Danny finally look up, amusement in his gaze, "Okay, Dash, please inform the class on how blood works, since that must be _human_ 101." Much of the class snickered. Dash's jaw clenched as he was momentarily reminded of a reason he once bullied the little smartass.

"Not that I don't relish sarcastic rhetoric," Tucker swooped in, "because I _really_ do, but F.Y.I. ectoplasm is, just like blood, a mix of things. It's mostly made of inorganic, metallic compounds that are suspended between a gas and liquid state at room temperature, making a ghost light and airy, and allowing it to conduct plenty of electrical activity to support a consciousness. Unlike blood, it doesn't support gas exchange. Ghosts don't have to breath. Their movement depends upon energy from their core, which is charged in the ghost zone."

Those in the class who understood Tucker were genuinely fascinated. Danny and Dash had paid no attention, remaining in a smirk-glare face-off.

Mikey, meanwhile, couldn't leave well enough alone. "Cool! But wait, does that mean Danny has to recharge in the ghost zone too?"

The boy in question and his girlfriend shared weary expressions, while Dash felt proud to have won his staring contest, for no particular reason.

 _Why is this anyone's business?_ Danny mouthed to Sam, who only shook her head in response. Tucker, oblivious to his friends' body language, continued divulging.

"Well no...his core is most likely charged by his human half's energy."

"Please, Mr. Lancer, this isn't an ectobiology course," the half-ghost groaned.

The incredibly intrigued teacher snapped back to attention, "Ah yes. Quite right." He paused, patting his pockets as if they held the track upon which his train of thought should be. "Right, um." Maybe his watch could help. After a quick glance at his left wrist, he did indeed remember, "Ladies and Gentleman, we have just enough time to go over some of the homework problems from last night." A collective sigh fell over the room, as the energy of the kids was whisked away. Only one student seemed happy for the change of topic.

Ectobiology, Mr. Lancer thought, he'd have to take that up with the committee as a possible elective for next year.


End file.
